Shank-stiffener.



W. H; FOSS. SHANK STIFF ENER'.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. i9. 1911- 1,26 1,91 '7. Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

lnvenror. WuHuce H. Fosg WWW srarns PATENT ora ion.

WALLACEH. FOSS, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNQB TO W. H. FOSS 00., INC.,

V OF BOSTOIN, MASSACHUSETTS,.A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

sHAnK-sr rrnnnit.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 19, 1917. SerialNo. 197,500.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVALLACE I-I. Foss, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cambridge, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shank-Stifieners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

In the patent to Joseph E. Peckham No. 1,240,249,. granted September 18, 1917 there is illustrated and described a'shank stifiener for boots and shoes which comprises a flexilole body portion curved longitudinally to conform to the shank and provided on its convex face with a longitudinally-extending groove situated centrally of the body, the formation of the groove'causing the total thickness of the body portion to be greater than that of the material from which it is made, a. stiff resilient/metal wire embedded in said grooveand curved longitudinally to conform to the curvature of the body portion, said wirebeingretained n the groove by means such as-staples which permit a relative longitudinal movement of the wire and body portion when theshank stiffener is flexed during use. r W

In the shank stiffener illustrated in the said patentthe Wire is shown as of uniform diameter throughout its length, and while a wire thusconstructedfunctions. properly to provide the necessary stifiness and resiliency to the device, yet I have found from experience that some times the wire will be come displaced longitudinally. I have also found that if a narrow shank, such as would be used in ladies shoes, is twisted longitudinally, the wire will sometimes turn on its axis so that the curvature of the wire will be reversed from what it should be.

The object of my invention is to improve the shank stiffener illustrated in the said patent so as to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages without, however, sacrificing any of the advantageous features of p ness of tures thereofwill be body portion to be greater than the thickthe material from which it is formed, and aiso in that it has a stiff rosiliont metal wire embedded in the groove and curved longitudinally to conform to the curvature of the body portion. In the present invention, howerer, the wire is made with spatuliform ends which rest flatly against the body portion and the sta ples by which the wire is secured to the body portion are positioned sov that'they embrace the wire at each end at the point where the round wire merges into the flattened or spatuliform portion thereof. The positioning of the staples in this location prevents any undesirablelongitudinal movement of the wire on the snank in either direction, while at the same time permitting all necessary relative longitudinal movement of the wire and body portion when the shank stiffener flexes or bonds in ordinar 1 use. The

spatuliform ends of the wire also function to prevent the wire from turning on its axis.

With my improvement, therefore, the wire correct 7 position at 'a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, a 'ter which the novel feapointed out in theqappended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shank stiffener embodying my invention; 7 V

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 38, Fig. 1;

Fig. lis a view of the metal wire element of the stiffener.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the body portion of the shank stiffener which may be made of leather-board or any other suitable material. This body portion is curved longitudinally to conform to the shank and is also provided with a longitudinal groove 2 on its convex face, the groove being herein shown as situated centrally of the body portion. The formation of this groove results in giving to the body portion a total thickness which is greater than the thickness of the material from which it is formed, as described in the aforesaid patent. The resilient reinforcing wire is indicated at 3,

Patented Apr. Q, EH8.

and this is made from relatively-stifi metal wire which is circular in cross-section. The 

